


Russian vodka

by Sadfangirl



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8019202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadfangirl/pseuds/Sadfangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 times Oliver and Felicity tried to blame the vodka for slipping up and 1 time they didn’t.</p><p>Based on Stephen’s comments to E-Online “…Amell did imply that perhaps some off-screen ‘mistakes’ were made thanks to some Russian vodka.”</p><p>Set during 4.5.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Russian vodka

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Arrow, I just borrow their characters for my writing experiments.

## 1\. Lyla and Sara

Felicity had had some bad days in her life but she’d never felt quite as helpless as she felt today. 

She’d arranged to go over to Lyla’s for lunch and was then going to babysit Sara for the afternoon so Lyla could go and run some errands. Spending time with Sara is Felicity’s favourite thing in the world right now, a bright spot in her darkness.

But when she arrives at the Diggles' apartment she finds Lyla at the end of her tether and Sara having a tantrum.

Lyla explains over Sara’s screaming that one of the older children at Sara’s daycare had told her cruelly that her father was never coming back. Because that’s what daddy’s did when they left. Lyla had tried to reassure Sara but the young child just didn’t believe her, screaming for her daddy.

Seeing her god-daughter so distressed broke Felicity’s already fragile heart.

Lyla tries everything and then uses all her contacts to try and get her husband onto video conference. But John Diggle is out on mission and won’t be back for 48 hours. There is nothing anyone could do.

Felicity tries everything she can to distract Sara, promising her toys and candy and treats. But nothing works and the child continues to sob, there is no comforting her.  
And by this point both Lyla and Felicity are crying too, missing their husband and brother respectively. 

Finally Sara cries herself to sleep and Lyla and Felicity go into the kitchen for a moment just to talk. Then Lyla brakes down too, talking about how much she misses John and how angry she is at him for abandoning his family when he re-enlisted.

By the time Felicity gets to the lair that night she is tired, hungry and still really upset. Oliver knows something is wrong as soon as she walks in. Her hair is falling out of her usually tight ponytail, her makeup is smudged and her eyes are red. He looks at her full of concern but before he can speak she tell him everything.

Once it’s all out, Sara’s pain, Lyla’s meltdown and how she couldn’t help, she bursts into tears and runs to the bathroom. She’s gone a while.

When she comes back she’s a little more put together. Oliver is sitting quietly at the conference table, waiting for her, with his bottle of Russian vodka and 2 shot glasses, full to the brim.

“I think you need this” Oliver says.

“You think?” Felicity replies, with a little humour in her voice. 

“Drink” he says and they both do, taking the strong alcohol down in one gulp.

Felicity puts her glass gown and he pours another shot for both of them without saying a word. They drink again and he pours a third.

“Helping?” Oliver asks.

Felicity just nods and gestures for another as she sits down into the chair next to him.

Four shots in quick succession go straight to Felicity’s head.

“I shouldn’t have done that” she slurs slightly “I’ve not eaten since breakfast”.

Oliver giggles and says “Oops” the vodka hitting him as well.

“I don’t eat well anymore” Felicity reflects, bringing the mood down. “I eat takeout or skip meals or just have toast. I miss…” she stops suddenly.

“Neither do I” Oliver admits. “I don’t like cooking for just myself, so I just don’t. It’s just that…” 

“Oh this is getting depressing. Let’s not do this now. I want to hear you laugh again. Hit me” Felicity quickly changes the subject.

“You always make me laugh” Oliver counters. “Do you remember that night in Spain, where we didn’t realise how strong the sangria was and we got lost on the way back to our cottage.” 

He smiles at the memory, he’s had a lot of vodka and his control is slipping.

“Oh my goodness, I do. I think I fell a few times and you finally had to give me a piggyback.”

“You were so drunk” Oliver laughs, the mood lifting.

“Nope” Felicity replies. “It was the shoes I was wearing. And I’ll swear to that until my dying day. Anyway, you were rubbish at the piggyback as you kept banging into things.”

“That was your fault, you kept covering my eyes”.

They are both laughing now. Remembering last year when they were free and happy. They both reach for the bottle at the same time and their hands touch.

 

Later, Felicity is trying to work out just how it had happened. She knew they’d reached for the bottle, hands had touched and then they’d looked at each other. And all she could see in his face, and all he could see in hers, was love, pure, real and true. They’d launched themselves at each other and she’d had no idea who’d kissed who first. It didn’t matter, they’d both been willing.

The first time she could blame on the vodka. They’d ended up in Oliver’s bed in the lair and after short naps they'd reached for each other again and again, murmuring words of love and regret.

 

Oliver is still asleep when Felicity wakes, her hangover demanding she get some water. She extracts herself from Oliver’s arms and sneaks out of the bed. She finds her clothes, dotted throughout the lair, happy for once that it was just the 2 of them down here, and dresses quickly. She retreats to her car and drives quickly home.

 

Neither of them mention what had happened.

 

 

 

## 2\. Thea

Oliver keeps reminding himself that he wanted to be mayor. He wanted to do good in the city in the light of day. He just didn’t think he would spend his time in meetings with people who had nothing better to do all day than criticise what he was trying to do.

Star City was hurting badly. So many people needed help and the local government was trying their best to cope. But there was so much to be done. 

And then, this afternoon, a “delegation of concerned citizens”, some of whom had been old friends of his mother, had managed to get onto his calendar and he had to listen to them talking about how they should only be helping the ‘right sort of people’. Oliver wants to scream at them, but manages to hold his tongue.

When they leave, however, he rounded on his Chief of Staff for setting up the meeting.

“Thea, never ever put those people on my calendar again” He shouts.

“But…” Thea stammers “They’re old friends of the family, I thought they wanted to help”.

“Did you hear them” Oliver rages “how they spoke about the people in this city. That’s the attitude that made some of them think that the Undertaking was a good idea.”

Thea didn’t know what to say. She was trying to be a good Chief of Staff, even though many in the Mayor’s office had made it clear they thought she was far too young for the role. 

Oliver continues “They go on about making the city a better place, but don’t want those around who have been hit hardest by the city’s devastation. Those who are now being targeted by low life criminals. They think the police should protect them first, before helping those in the Glades. The police can barely cope as it is”.

“Is that directed at me?” Thea pointedly asks. 

“We need you Speedy” Oliver says, softening his tone.

“No” Thea shouts. “I’m not putting on the mask again. I was going to kill a child.” Thea takes a breath and continues “Please don’t bring this up again Ollie, I’m not coming back.” Then raising her voice she states firmly “And if you ask me again you’ll be looking for a new Chief”. She turns and storms out of his office.

 

By the time Felicity gets to the lair she can see that Oliver is already drunk. He’s sitting at her station with the vodka bottle opened on her desk and a glass in his hand. 

“Want to talk about it?” Felicity asks.

“Want to join me?” Oliver says as he waves the bottle in front of her. 

Felicity gets a glass from the cabinet and watches as Oliver pours her a generous measure. 

Once Felicity is on her second round Oliver starts talking. “It’s Thea. We had another fight at the office today.” 

“You asked her to come back, didn’t you?” Felicity ponders.

“Not exactly.” Oliver shrugs. “I said something about the police being overwhelmed and she took that as me having a go at her.”

“Then what” Felicity says, trying to draw him out.

“I told her we needed her.” Felicity can hear the dejection in his voice. The vodka has stripped away all of Oliver’s armour and Felicity can hear his pain. “She’s going to quit my office if I mention it again”.

Felicity walks over to beside Oliver and cups his face in her hand “She needs time, and you have to give her that” she tells him. “If it’s right for her, she’ll find her way back.”

Oliver looks at Felicity with so much hope in his eyes, wanting so much for her to mean it about them as well. 

Before he can say anything though Felicity leans down and gives him a soft peck on his lips. He quickly reached up, grabbing her head to deepen the kiss. Both quickly get lost in the sensation.

 

Oliver opens his eyes in his empty bed. He had hoped that this time Felicity would stay. But as before, she’d gone. This time he feels her leave, but decides to fake sleep until she’s gone. It will save any awkwardness.

 

Neither of them mentioned what had happened. Again.

 

 

 

## 3\. Palmer tech board.

Felicity spends the day in meetings with her lawyer and the Palmer Tech board. They are now desperately trying to cover themselves in the way she was removed as CEO. It seemed the press and a lot of the shareholders are none too happy about the firing. They like their young and vibrant CEO. She’s good for the business.

The board want her to issue a statement saying it was a mutual parting of the ways. They also want her to sign a non-competition contract as all of their best people are leaving because they don’t want to work there without Felicity. Curtis has already resigned in disgust.

Felicity keeps her temper for as long as she can, as the board speak down to her and try to justify their behaviour. 

It’s is a long and terrible meeting and there is no resolution. 

Felicity finally gets up and begins to walk out, telling her lawyers not to agree to anything and telling the Palmer Tech board to come back to her when they want to re-instate her with a full apology and their resignations. Otherwise they can go to hell.

She’s already drunk on vodka when Oliver arrives at the lair.

She doesn’t talk, just walks straight up to him and kisses him. 

He doesn’t resist.

 

This time Oliver is sure Felicity knows he’s awake but neither of them do anything as she quietly leaves.

 

And neither of them mention what happened.

 

 

 

## 4\. Havenrock.

Oliver is out checking on leads when he hears a sob in his ear. He quietly asked what was wrong but she tells him nothing and shuts off her comms. 

Oliver quickly returns to the lair. He finds her crying as she watches a talking heads show on the TV. Someone in the government has leaked that the missile that hit Havenrock was diverted from Monument Point, the talking heads condemning the action. 

Oliver moves to turn off the monitor but Felicity stops him.

“They’re right you know.” She stammers. “I killed them, all of them in Havenrock. I decided who lived and who died. It’s my fault.”

“No it’s not” Oliver tells her. “You were trying to stop what an evil man had done. You saved millions, no billions from Dahrk’s missiles. Please don’t listen to those people, they’d be dead if you weren’t as good as you are. If you’d done nothing it would have been so much worse.”

“But it wasn’t enough” Felicity sobs “I should have been good enough. Good enough to save everyone.”

“Oh Felicity” Oliver murmurs as he takes her into her arms to comfort her as she cries. He knew that the Havenrock missile hit was preying on her, but didn’t realise just how badly she was affected by it. He resolves to talk to Lyla so they can reassure Felicity that the impossible choice she made was the right one.

Felicity cries for a long time. But eventually she calms herself and extracts herself from Oliver’s comforting arms.

Oliver walks to the cabinet and pulled out the vodka and 2 glasses.

“To calm your nerves?” he asks.

Felicity nods.

 

It was almost like a game now. Felicity gets up and leaves quietly, Oliver says nothing. But he so wants to pull her back to him, declare his love and make her breakfast. But nothing is said and they return to the status quo.

 

 

 

## 5\. Salmon ladder

It’s Wednesday. And that means that Oliver is doing the salmon ladder. 

And Felicity is watching, very closely, purely for science reasons. 

It’s been 2 weeks since her Havenrock meltdown and she’s doing better. Lyla has referred her to an ARGUS therapist who she sees every day. And it’s helping. 

Oliver has been a supportive friend, making sure she’s OK, but never crossing the line. He is, however, cooking for her. He’s going to the loft at the weekend and making lots of healthy meals. He tells her that he’s doing it for both of them, to make sure they’re both eating healthier. But it reassures him that she’s taking better care of herself.

And now it’s Wednesday.

He knows it’s wrong, he knows he shouldn’t be doing the salmon ladder shirtless, right in front of her. She’s told him, many times, just what it does to her.

But today, he doesn’t care. He misses her, the ache just won’t go away. He just wants to know that she still finds him attractive. 

He looks down to make sure she’s watching, and she is. She has a light in her eye that he hasn’t seen in a very long time. She’s smiling her most vibrant smile.

He drops down and walks towards her. She smiles softly at him and asks “Drink?”

 

 

This time, when Felicity gets ready to leave his bed he tightens his hold on her. He kisses her hair and cuddles closer, telling her to go back to sleep. She complies and falls asleep in his arms again. This time they rise and shower together before saying goodbye. 

 

He spends the entire day smiling, the meetings don’t get to him so much today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

## \+ 1 No

It’s got to the point that one of them only has to pull out the vodka bottle and they’re on each other. They don’t even try to make up excuses anymore, as the vodka has been untouched for weeks. 

It’s every night. 

They should talk about it, but Oliver’s nervous that they’ll have to define what’s happening and he’s scared she’ll leave him again. He knows it’s up to Felicity to take the next step.

He comes back from patrol and walks straight to the cabinet with the vodka, but she stops him suddenly.

“No” she says. “we’re not doing this anymore.”

Oliver feels his stop and waits for her to say something else, his words are gone.

She states “We’re both fooling ourselves if we think that sex is all this is. You and I both know it’s so much more than that”.

Oliver nods slowly as Felicity continues. “I think we need to do this right. I want to do this right. Start again, do it the way normal couples do. So, Oliver, would you like to go to dinner with me, as in a date, a real date?”

Oliver’s smile could light up the world at that moment. “Yes” he shouts, “I would like that very much”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

## Bonus: Felicity’s boyfriend.

The lair is quite full tonight. The new vigilante recruits sparring with each other, with Curtis leading them. Thea is visiting, briefing Oliver on some stuff he’ll need for his morning meeting. 

“Are you OK?” Thea asks her brother, who’s staring wistfully off at Felicity, watching her work. 

“Yes, fine” Oliver replies sharply, snapping himself out of it. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I heard Felicity tell Curtis she couldn’t go to dinner with him later, that she has a date.” Thea looks at her brother hard, trying to gauge his mood.

Oliver shrugs. “She has to get on with her life” he says.

Thea is perplexed. She knows her brother is still completely smitten with his ex-fiancee and thinks he should be reacting more when he hears that Felicity has a date tonight.

Oliver knows his sister wants to see a reaction, but he just walks away to get changed. He doesn’t let her see the smile on his face.

 

 

“We should tell them” Oliver tells Felicity, much later, as they’re curled up in each others arms in the loft.

“No” Felicity says with humour. “We agreed, keep it quiet until we’re on a much firmer footing”.

“It’s been 3 months. I think we can safely say that we’re back together. You know my sister keeps waiting for me to break down when she tells me you have a date.”

“But there’s no pressure just now. As soon as everyone knows we’ll get a million questions and suggestions. You know what it will be like.”

“I know, but your mother is texting me daily asking me if I’ve made any progress.” Oliver says smiling. “I don’t want to lie to Smoak women anymore.”

Felicity glares at Oliver who just laughs as he says “Well, you did make me promise…”

Felicity hits Oliver with a pillow and he yelps in pain.

“Oh mister tough guy, get’s shot or stabbed and he’s fine, but I tap him with a pillow and it hurts so bad.” Felicity teased.

Oliver tries to pout but can’t help but laugh “but it’s so painful…”

Once they stop laughing he says conspiratorially “You know we could make a game of it. Bet who’ll work it out first, see who can catch us.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that Mr Queen. And what prey tell would be the wager?” she smiles…

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos feed my muse, so let me know what you think.


End file.
